


The Origin of Love

by HeadlinesBreadlinesBlowMyMind



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: At least i hope it’s cute, Culmets - Freeform, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idk it’s cute, M/M, i guess it’s fluff????
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 09:12:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16616126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeadlinesBreadlinesBlowMyMind/pseuds/HeadlinesBreadlinesBlowMyMind
Summary: Love. It had always seemed like a strange concept to Paul. He had other things to deal with, more important stuff like working, working could really make a difference.





	The Origin of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [transmarkcohen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/transmarkcohen/gifts).



> I didn’t put in the actual canon way they met so don’t murder me. Danke schön

Love. It had always seemed like a strange concept to Paul. He had other things to deal with, more important stuff like working, working could really make a difference. To Paul love would never be able to do that. His time on earth (or now that he had become a Starfleet officer, universe would probably be more appropriate) was too important to waste it on short-term flings, it would only mess up his otherwise clever mind, it made him stupid and blind and it never lasted long enough for Paul to even introduce the new guy to his mother. 

Paul had always seen Hugh around the area. The only places Paul saw him was around the Starfleet HQ and at some cafes and libraries around it (He had figured out Hugh’s name by asking the barista at a cafe they both went to quite frequently). It was obvious that Hugh was a student at Starfleet such as himself. He assumed Hugh worked with something other than science, or they would probably have met a lot more often, but what exactly Hugh studied was a mystery to Paul.

He found the other man intriguing, a lack for better words really, Hugh really interested Paul. Not in a particularly romantic or sexual way. He just felt as if they had a lot in common, and he would very much like to speak to someone working in a similar field as himself. Reaching out was hard though, Paul wasn’t much of the sociable kind and he didn’t try to seem extremely approachable either with his nose stuck far down his PADD. It was about the 13th time Paul had debated whether or not to talk to Hugh when the man in question sat down next to Paul. 

“Having your PADD so close to your face is really going to damage your eyesight, you know?” 

Paul didn’t look up yet, but from the way Hugh’s voice changed at the end of his sentence, he guessed Hugh was smirking quite wide. 

“I’m more than aware,” 

Paul simply replied before scrambling after his glasses in his backpack before tossing them over to Hugh. He simply chuckled in return and his brown eyes lit up. 

“I’m Culber by the way, Hugh Culber. I study medicine at Starfleet, and I’ve seen you around the academy so I have reason to believe you go there as well?”

So medicine, it was. That explained his comment about his eyes.

“I am Paul Stamets, you’re correct, I do go to Starfleet. I study science, specifically mycelium,”

His palms were sweating. Small talk was really not his thing, specifically not when he was stressing out about not scaring the other guy off. 

“Mycelium you say? That sounds fascinating. What if I buy you a coffee and you can tell me more about it?”  
Well that went better than expected.

“I think I’d like that, thank you Culber,”

“Hugh,”

He corrected before continuing. 

“And it’s my pleasure to spend time with such a handsome scientist such as yourself. Tell me, do you like opera? 

\------------

They had started talking more often. To the extent where Paul was messaging Hugh’s PADD a little too much than he felt was normal. He had never experienced feeling such fondness of someone before, luckily it seemed like Hugh felt the same. 

It was nice to finally have someone who was genuinely interested in his work. The weird glances and laughs had become annoying a long time ago. It was truly refreshing to be able to share his ideas and thoughts and being met with interest. Not only that, but Hugh was smart. Hugh understood most of what Paul was saying, and when he didn’t understand Paul would do his best to explain and Hugh would get it after enough tries.

They would stay up late to talk to each other. Of course Hugh was the only one who really saw it as “staying up”. Paul was used to pulling all nighters and drinking an unholy amount of caffeine in the morning. Hugh was more of an early bird. Staying up late for him was going to bed at 11pm. Sometimes it still surprised Paul how doctor-y Hugh was. It was cute, and Hugh was very caring. It was nice having someone looking out for him sometimes. 

After countless meetings over lunch, and an infinite number of hours staying up Paul realized he had fallen in love with Hugh. 

He wasn’t sure what had got him first. Paul really enjoyed listening to Hugh go off about some opera or some drama going on at the medbay (apparently nurses loved gossip, and somehow they love dragging poor Hugh into the whole mess). Paul loved how whenever Hugh talked about something he was passionate his eyes lit up and he would start speaking faster. Hugh’s laugh was music to Paul’s ears and seeing him smile would make Paul extremely happy. He felt as if he was walking on clouds. The fact that Hugh managed to keep up with Paul’s sarcasm and irony was also great and Hugh was a bit sarcastic himself. Not to mention that he was extremely attractive. Something that was a nice bonus to Paul’s already lovestruck self. 

Hugh realized Paul liked him (considering it was quite obvious, Paul was surprised not everyone at the academy knew), and being the tease Hugh was instead of asking Paul out himself he nudged Paul to do it and Hugh of course agreed to start dating. 

The weeks and months went by so quickly, Paul wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or not (and if he was, as cliche as it sounds, Paul would never want to wake up from such an amazing dream). Hugh had taken an interest in languages. Even though the translation technology was pretty much perfected he loved the history and culture that came with it. You wouldn’t be able to learn that from a simple translation device. Paul would help him study and it would be a nice way of bonding. Something Paul was sure most couples didn’t share. 

Nothing felt more right than what Hugh did. Each day he spend without him just proved that. Maybe he was wrong about love all along, because there was no doubt in Paul’s mind that Hugh was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope everyone reading didn’t die of the extreme cheesiness of this story. Whoops??


End file.
